The "Pinel" Story
It was an ordinary day. We had just arrived at the ferry dock in the French Cul de sac to go to Pinel Island. This is an island off the coast of St. Martin in the Caribbean. It is one of the favorite destinations for Carol and I. After parking we walk to the dock where the ferry will load. "Ferry" is the name they give it, but it is really just a large boat with plenty of seats in it. The driver stands in the back and steers the ferry the 1/4 mile to the island. The ferry should probably hold 30 people, but we have been on the boat when there were AT LEAST double that. The water is probably no more than 10 feet deep the entire trip and if you are sitting along the edge of the ferry you can actually touch it, since the ferry rides so low in the water with all the weight it carries. We have experienced the same driver for a few years now who is a native of St. Martin and about our age. His o
ne arm and hand is contorted so he has to operate the ferry with only one hand and arm. He wears a whistle around his neck and uses it to notify everyone that he is leaving. The trip over to Pinel takes about 10 minutes, but is an experience of a lifetime. As you approach the island you can see the umbrellas lined up along the shore. Blue, orange and yellow umbrellas signify the 3 different beach bars that occupy the island. There is no electricity on the island, therefore generators, solar panels and propane supply the power for cooking at the island's restaurants. Outdoor toilets are available if needed. The beach is powder soft and as white as can be. The surrounding water is about three to five feet deep for about 30 fe
et from the shore. Crystal clear! We pick out the yellow umbrellas signifying Karibuni Beach Bar and Yellow Beach. After paying the $20 rental fee we head to the water. You can't imagine how warm and comforting it feels. You really have to be there!! You can eat at the beach bars for lunch, with lobster from their cages a speciality, but we have learned to pack our lunch for the day, because of the very expensive menu items. Tuna salad on a loaf of French bread is our menu for the day along
with drinks and a few snacks. After lunch we hike to the top of the island, a distance of maybe a quarter of a mile. From the top we can see the coast of St. Martin and the distant St. Barts. The back side of Pinel offers a deeper aqua colored water for swimming and extreme privacy, since you must hike down a very rough terrain. We make our way down the terrain and share the sand with a few sand crabs. Cooler water greets us as we take a swim to cool off from our trip over the hill. After returning back to our yellow umbrella and chairs we settle in for some reading and napping. The ferry retu
rns every half hour to take you back to the Cul de sac dock, with the last one coming at 5:30. Don't miss it or you'll be there until the next day!!! The final trip usually carries the most people and you wander how everyone can fit on the boat. But they do! 4:30 now and we hear the whistle. It's been such a relaxing day, but time to return. It is our little piece of paradise and we will return again. FOR SURE!!! It is another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. We had just arrived at the ferry dock in the French Cul de sac to go to Pinel Island. This is an island off the coast of St. Martin in the Caribbean. It is one of the favorite destinations for Carol and I. After parking we walk to the dock where the ferry will load. "Ferry" is the name they give it, but it is really just a large boat with plenty of seats in it. The driver stands in the back and steers the ferry the 1/4 mile to the island. The ferry should probably hold 30 people, but we have been on the boat when there were AT LEAST double that. The water is probably no more than 10 feet deep the entire trip and if you are sitting along the edge of the ferry you can actually touch it, since the ferry rides so low in the water with all the weight it carries. We have experienced the same driver for a few years now who is a native of St. Martin and about our age. His o
ne arm and hand is contorted so he has to operate the ferry with only one hand and arm. He wears a whistle around his neck and uses it to notify everyone that he is leaving. The trip over to Pinel takes about 10 minutes, but is an experience of a lifetime. As you approach the island you can see the umbrellas lined up along the shore. Blue, orange and yellow umbrellas signify the 3 different beach bars that occupy the island. There is no electricity on the island, therefore generators, solar panels and propane supply the power for cooking at the island's restaurants. Outdoor toilets are available if needed. The beach is powder soft and as white as can be. The surrounding water is about three to five feet deep for about 30 fe
et from the shore. Crystal clear! We pick out the yellow umbrellas signifying Karibuni Beach Bar and Yellow Beach. After paying the $20 rental fee we head to the water. You can't imagine how warm and comforting it feels. You really have to be there!! You can eat at the beach bars for lunch, with lobster from their cages a speciality, but we have learned to pack our lunch for the day, because of the very expensive menu items. Tuna salad on a loaf of French bread is our menu for the day along
with drinks and a few snacks. After lunch we hike to the top of the island, a distance of maybe a quarter of a mile. From the top we can see the coast of St. Martin and the distant St. Barts. The back side of Pinel offers a deeper aqua colored water for swimming and extreme privacy, since you must hike down a very rough terrain. We make our way down the terrain and share the sand with a few sand crabs. Cooler water greets us as we take a swim to cool off from our trip over the hill. After returning back to our yellow umbrella and chairs we settle in for some reading and napping. The ferry retu
rns every half hour to take you back to the Cul de sac dock, with the last one coming at 5:30. Don't miss it or you'll be there until the next day!!! The final trip usually carries the most people and you wander how everyone can fit on the boat. But they do! 4:30 now and we hear the whistle. It's been such a relaxing day, but time to return. It is our little piece of paradise and we will return again. FOR SURE!!! It is another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Okay LDub so now I'm confused -- did you go back to the wrong colored umbrella on purpose?
ReplyDeleteHey, you really got me on that one!
ReplyDelete